u2018 A trip to India is an exceptionu2019 dalreen ramos dalreen. ramos@ mid- day. com IN 1999 during a lunchtime concert in Amsterdam, Riccardo Chailly started conducting the first bar of Mozartu2019s piano concerto no 20 in D minor. Itu2019s when Maria Jou00e3o Pires started panicking or what Chailly described as an u201c electric shock.u201d She had learnt the wrong concerto; itu2019s worse than not knowing an answer to a question in the final examination u2014 you canu2019t just make stuff up and you certainly donu2019t get marks for getting a step right.
In a minute, she recuperated and started to play, without skipping a single note.
Two decades later, the episode is still subject to gasps at Piresu2019 genius. Her extraordinary talent blossomed early on. Born in Lisbon, she played her first recital when she was five. Thatu2019s why it pained many to hear her announce her retirement in 2018, citing the piano as the main cause; she said that she never had a good relationship with it. Surprisingly, in a year, she came out of retirement and will perform twice at the National Centre for the Performing Arts ( NCPA) for the Symphony Orchestra of India ( SOI) Spring 2020 season.
When asked of her decision to retire and what brought her back to something she wanted to be set free from, Pires says, u201c It is a good example that in life you cannot always take decisions, but sometimes, life takes decisions for you.u201d She mentions that the Centro de Artes de Belgais that she founded in Portugal made her rethink her choice. At the same time, she insists that she wants to do less. u201c On the other hand making a trip to India is always an exception and it is for my heart and not anything else.u201d Thereu2019s Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann on the agenda for her concerts at the NCPA. And while the tickets for her first performance this Sunday sold out quickly, there is a recital to watch out for on Tuesday with violinist Augustin Dumay, who she has had a long- standing friendship with. Pires might not be verbose in an interview, but it reflects the very ideal she stands for u2014 accessibility.
As a musician, she manages to convey the depth of what sheu2019s playing without delving into allegros or tenths. About Beethoven, she once said, u201c He gives you hope and at the same time gives you the need to fight for the truth, the soul and our best part.u201d While she also tells us that he has the genius of analysing spirituality, she views Mozart as a composer who is rather complex and who constantly switching through emotions. u201c He can make you smile or cry in the same phrase u2014 constantly impermanent, moving and understanding human nature.u201d Pires, 75, has also studied Buddhism; her grandfather was a Buddhist and her father lived in Japan and China. She equates music to Buddhist philosophy, saying, u201c It is question of expressing culture, religion and spirituality.u201d Music, for her, is an expression of human spirit and value.
The pianist is an admirer of the Dagar Brothers. She calls them the u201c real artistesu201d who combine both freedom and discipline. Thatu2019s also the advice she leaves aspiring musicians. u201c Organise yourself like you want to and not how society wants you to... One should follow rules but not to the extent of damaging oneu2019s personality,u201d she states. When sheu2019s not practising, you might find Pires looking around in the city one of these days u2014 itu2019s the only plan she reveals to us. Sheu2019d like to u201c walk around, and get some fresh airu201d. ON February 18, 7 pm AT Tata Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point.
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COST R 300 onwards Maria Jou00e3o Pires at the Grand Echiquier in Paris, 1986. PIC/ GETTY IMAGES; ( right) Pires with the Dalai Lama. PIC/ face book After announcing her retirement in 2018, Portuguese pianist Maria Jou00e3o Piresu2019, regarded as one of the best in the world, will take the stage in Mumbai for two performances interview u2018 Organise yourself like you want to and not how society wants you tou2019 Maria Jou00e3o Pires
